Preschool Jumpstart

Review of Jumpstart Preschool PC Game
Krystal Pittman
DeVry University
Composition ENGL 112
Professor Norman
March 24, 2013

Review of Jumpstart Preschool PC Game I have chosen to review a PC game, one designed specifically for children around the ages of 3-4. It’s the Jumpstart Preschool PC game. Some people would probably disagree with me that a video games are for learning; it’s for playing and rotting the brain. I, however, think this particular game is the best thing that ever happened to my son. My son has not had the privilege of being in a daycare that taught all the basics. When I finally got him into a daycare that teaches, I got laid-off at work. I have since then have had no luck of finding another job, but I have tried several things, trying to teach my son the basic first things a toddler learns such as shapes, colors, animals, etc. I had preschool books that did okay, but his attention wouldn’t last very long. We tried flashcards, which held a little more attention than the books because they are more like a game. We also had a few toys that sang songs and taught different things, but when I found and bought the Jumpstart Preschool PC game, I knew after the first day I had found the best way to teach my son. Within the first day my son didn’t even need me helping him. I showed him how to use the mouse on my computer, and everything else the game taught him by showing him what to do step by step, then had him try it on his own. I was so amazed at how quickly he caught on that I would sit and watch him play this game and never got bored. It brought a smile to my face to know that my little boy wouldn’t miss out on his education. The Jumpstart Preschool PC game is a great way to get your child ready for school because it is easy to use, teaches your child several skills and it’s affordable. One thing that parents would expect from this product is that it’s easy for the kids to use. Not only is it easy for kids to use but also easy for parents. Jumpstart has a feature just for parents; that allows them to look at the progress their child is making in the game and what kind of skills they have learned thus far. The game is very easy for the kids to use. They just click where they are supposed to, and, if they don’t see the answer right away, the correct answer is slightly highlighted. The whole game is used with the mouse and no keyboard. Jumpstart does have games that require the keyboard, but they are on a separate PC disc. It is my opinion that in this aspect the game meets this requirement. I never realized how easy it was until my son played the game. Another example of what you might expect when you see this product on the shelf is that it actually teaches your child. Trust me when I say that this product teaches so many things that prepare the children for kindergarten, that I didn’t even realize they needed to learn at that age. This game appeals to all types of kids. Some kids learn better through song, pictures, rhymes, or interactive games and this product has it all. It is also set up to go back and practice certain areas where they may need to work on more. It definitely gets their minds working. It has matching, memory, reading, connecting dot-to-dot, mathematics and so many other skills for the kids to learn. There are also videos that are unlocked at certain levels with different kid songs. It was kind of great to watch my son unlock another video and after watching it, turns to me and says, “That was awesome; I’m going to watch that again.” There is also an arts level where they get to be creative and put their projects in billboards around the town in game. In my opinion; the designers of Jumpstart exceeded this expectation and did a fantastic job at finding fun ways to teach the younger children all they need to know to prepare them for kindergarten. Something else most parents would consider when looking at this product is the price. If something is suppose to be that helpful, most of the time it’s a bit on the expensive side. I am here to inform you that this product is affordable being only $20.00. For your child’s education and for your budget; you can’t beat that price. Jumpstart has many different levels for children. I have only mentioned preschool but they have a Jumpstart for each grade level of school, for example pre-k through 12th grade. I know each level of Jumpstart is $20.00 each. Basically, it cost about $20.00 a year to get your child the little extra help they need to get an education on top of what the schools are teaching. I know from experience that some teachers teach a little differently, and it may be difficult to learn with that particular teacher’s method. I think having the Jumpstart as a back-up is a great idea for instances like that. In my opinion this product is well priced for people in our economy today and therefore succeeded in this type of expectation. In conclusion, I would like to say that this product is great for all school aged children, and I believe to be especially helpful for the children preparing to start school (kindergarten). I have used this product and will continue to use it for as long as it’s available. I highly recommend Jumpstart to all parents because it’s easy to use, it teaches the children many skills, and it’s reasonably priced. If you have a little one getting ready to start kindergarten, please check out the Jumpstart Preschool PC game.